Now and Than
by clawsandteeth
Summary: Sesshomaru is mentally eight years old.


Please Review

It had closed years ago, the well her transport into the past. Now she lived a normal life, well she tried anyway. She had gone through many failures since her adventures could no longer be accomplished. Her first failure had been high school. No longer able to concentrate on such things she had flunked her first year since being back and had no desire to continue on. She had tried working normal jobs for those to finish eve before they began. Kagome was starting to see herself as a bum.

Kagome glared at the boarded well as if her very gaze could make it reopen again after five years of not allowing her access. Brushing a cob web from her arm she sat on the well cover to stare at the brown wooden walls of the well house. She covered her face with her hands and tried to ease the frustration from her body. Feeling a little better began to make her way out of the well house her disappointment then it had been yesterday.

Back at the house a man stood talking to her grandfather. As Kagome got closer she noticed the man was very tall with long dark hair in a ponytail and he wore a pale grey suit. To Kagome the man didn't look familiar, but he seemed familiar.

"Ah, Kagome this man is here to see you." The grandpa said nodded to the man. "Come on in I will make you some tea."

Kagome frowned at the man but he paid her no attention instead fallowed her grandfather inside taking a seat at the table in the dining room waiting on the tea. Hesitating Kagome fallowed him in and sat across from him.

He turned to look at her, "I have a job for you."

Kagome frowned. When did employers make house calls?

"A job involving demons," he announced nonchalantly watching the emotions flash across the young women's face. Confusion, horror, and forced indifference.

"I don't understand." Kagome mumbled out in disbelief. "How would" Her words faded in her mouth.

"We first came aware of your travels when our system spiked with the appearance of your half demon friend a few years ago." He nodded. "We watched for a while concluding your doings were harmless. Now we have noticed you haven't been down the well in sometime and we have decided to approach you for a job." Already aware of the next question he continued. "You obviously having a lot of experience with demons would be a great asset for our company." He handed her a card.

"DRP," Kagome reads the card.

"If you are interested give us a call. There is no interview process needed." With that the tall man stood and left.

Kagome glares at the card all that had happened extremely quick. She had no idea what any of this could mean but she was planning on finding out.

It had taken eight buses and a stranger, but Kagome had finally seen the tall structure in the middle of no place that had to be the place. She had to walk the last mile the local she had caught a ride with had refused to go any further up the hill. Saying he received bad vibes from the tall grey structure on top of the hill. He also told her about the loud yelps and growls he had heard when he had dared go up the hill when young. Those words hadn't helped her mind which was telling her this was a mistake.

When Kagome got closer she realized the building she saw from the road below was just one of many on the top of the hill. All of which were behind a tall metal fence topped with bribed wire. It wasn't a friendly looking place.

Heaving her bag onto her shoulder she walked over to the guard box and banged on the glass window waking the napping guard. Waking with a start the guard wiped spit from his chin.

The man looked her up and down lingering on her breast in a way that reminded the young women of her friend Miroku. Also now that he was awake he looked unsettling similar.

"What can I help you with?" He asked with a smile.

"I'm here for a tour." She mumbled. "I may be working here." It was raining now and all Kagome wanted to do was get out of the rain. "I'm Kagome. 

The young man glanced at his computer then nodded before pushing a hidden bottom Kagome couldn't see. The gates doors began to open. "Just enter the tallest building another guard should be on the inside waiting."

Kagome nodded and entered the building. Her heels clacked on the wet pavement as she walked into the deserted looking place. Another guard stood by the glass doors of the tall building waving her over.

"This way," The guard said leading her inside the building. Kagome noticed the empty cleanness of the place. The floors were marble and clean and to her left were leather couches and a table with magazines on them. Behind the chairs was a hallway and elevators. On the right it was identical to the left. Ahead of her was a circular desk with a women with bright red hair sat.

"This is the tour Dr. Min was talking about." The guard nodded to Kagome. "You should sign her and then get a person to show her around.

The women seemed annoyed. "I understand how to do this Nil."

The man shrugged and walked away without another word.

The women began typing into the computer not even glancing at the other young women who stood by awkwardly. The silence stretched on the only sounds after a while was the heavy rain drops that pelted the pavement outside.

Just as the quietness was growing too much for Kagome and she was about to say something a women exited one of the elevators and walked briskly over dressed in a grey skirt and top.

"Here," Kagome turned to look back at the women behind the desk handing her a visitor's badge.

"Fallow me," The other women said not waiting on Kagome before heading back to the elevators.

Kagome quickly took the badge and caught up to the women.

"My name is Ayme," The women said her voice flat. Then she swiped her card at the elevator before pressing the number seven. As they waited Ayme held up her card. "Visitors are only allowed on floors 1-5 you need an employee card to reach a floor higher than that and also to access the other building on the property."

The doors opened and they stepped inside. The reflection in the mirror wall almost made Kagome jump and then she laughed nervously. "I wasn't expecting that."

Ayme only raised an eyebrow.

Embarrassed the time traveler looked at the glowing number over the metal door. "What exactly is done here?" Kagome asked realizing it was the first.

"We use and study demon bodies and behavior in hopes to finding ways to cure human ailments, and we protect the word from any rouge dangerous demon." The women's words shocked her.

"You mean there are actual demons here?" She asked bewildered.

Ayme nodded, "Of course our president felt your help would be needed since you worked with the specimens from their early days of rule."

Kagome was shocked silent.

"We have 500 people on staff including doctors, cooks, nurses, and training specialists and many scientists all of which live on DRP hill. We have about 300 demons and half demons at the moment." The women said as the doors opened and motioned her forward.

"This is the children's floor. I've brought you here because if you were to accept the job this is the place you would be assigned and until you have accepted the job this will be the only floor shown." They continued down the empty hallway until they reached a glass window of a room. In the room was obliviously a very large playroom with at least twenty demon children playing quietly. In the far corner of the room playing with a stack of blocks was a man with long silver hair and golden eyes intently worked a structure.

"Sesshomaru," Kagome mumbled not able to believe her eyes.

"Yes his mother gave him such a name. How did you come upon that?" The woman was frowning at her.

Kagome was fighting herself on what to say. All this was just becoming too much. "His name tag," Kagome lied noticing the name tag attached to his yellow shirt.

"You have very good sighting." Ayme nodded. Kagome could tell the women didn't completely believe her.

"You said all of them were born here?" Kagome asks unable to take her eyes away from Sesshomaru and his strangely innocent look as he concentrated on his work.

"Yes," Ayme answered. "All of specimens currently inside DRP were born here."

Kagome nodded. "Why is he in the children's room?" Kagome asked motioning towards Sesshomaru.

Ayme frowned and seemed disappointed about something. "He was born normal, then something happened and he became like this though his body continued to grow he is still mentally around eight human years. Such a waste he had a lot of promise."

Something about Ayme's words felt wrong to Kagome. All of it was beginning to feel wrong.

"Why are you locking them up here?" Kagome asks.

"Demons are dangerous to humans." Ayme looks serious. "Just last week a demon tore into the face of a nurse for no reason."

Kagome had no problem believing that but it still felt wrong to do this. "How do you keep them here and from attacking more often?"

Ayme pointing to the gleaming metal collar attached to the closest child's neck. "It creates electronic pulses. All of them have a word associated with them and depending on how you say the word it will inflict an amount of pain. This is all I can show you today unless you accept the job. Dr. Min is waiting for your answer."

Kagome accepted the job and she couldn't believe it. In hind sight if she thought about it as soon as she had seen Sesshomaru, well the man that looked like him she understood it was no way she could walk away.

Kagome put on her pale grey pants and grey shirt. Ayme had said the color kept the specimens tame. Cringing at the word specimen Kagome looked around the one bedroom apartment had been given to her as an employee of the company. It was modest and small with a kitchen when you first enter and a dining and living room on the left and doors leading to a bedroom and bathroom on the right. Ayme had said if she had a family she would receive a bigger place. Then Kagome had asked if people lived here with their families and Ayme had answered yes that was how they remained so secretive. Almost everyone who worked at DRP had grown up on DRP hill. She was the first new person in years. They were their own community. They had a market and stores and even small restaurants. Ayme had also taken her on a tour of the town and had shown her on the other side of the hill which was gated grown demon compound.

Reaching for her badge that hung behind her front door she read it thoughtfully. It said her name and announced she was an employee of DRP.

Outside her apartment which was right in the middle of DRP hill's town she moved down the paved streets back toward DRP main building. There was no transportation in DRP unless you were a transporter even though DRP main building was a good walk away Kagome enjoyed the walk.

Once to the building she got on the elevator and swiped her card for floor seven. She was met by a short woman with an impatient face. The women had yellow haired demon baby in her arms. "I thought you weren't going to show." She waved her to follow.

"You got ages born to five plus Sesshomaru; they are a handful but try having 5-10." The women said bitterly and were walking quickly and they went by the now empty play room. "You and Andio share the responsibility for them there are about fifteen of them you have o-z. Just be thankful you don't have the teens they are a handful at that age because they will be entering adulthood at seventeen. Down this all are their bedrooms. Andio is in the play room, the last room on this hall." With that the women left handing Kagome the baby.

Staring after the women then at the baby who yawned showing little pointy fangs the young women frowned. This wasn't going to be easy.

Tapping lightly Kagome heard a come in. Opening the painted yellow door Kagome saw a woman with long dark hair and wearing a similar outfit was picking up scattered toys. The women at seeing Kagome made her way over taking the baby from her arms.

"You must be my help." The women smiled looking honestly thankful. "I think we need to get started they will be waking up for breakfast in a minute. We only have five who are on the bottle three of which can hold bottle on their own. We will feed them first then usher the ones who eat solid food to the cafeteria."

Kagome nodded and followed the women to the cafeteria and bottles were already waiting and food was already being cooked. Returning back to the hallway they fed the babies then ushered the bigger ten to the cafeteria. Kagome was already exhausted.

"Oh I almost forgot," Audio said. "Sesshomaru can you go get him. He is in the last room."

Kagome nodded and swallowed quietly as she moved from the cafeteria down the hall. After tapping and receiving no answer Kagome opened the door. The hallway light filtering into the room and making the blue room glow brightly. The man groaned loudly before golden eyes bounced open to stare at her.

Finding air she moved into the room. "It's time for breakfast now Sesshomaru."

He yawned and stood his cover sliding from his body. Kagome yelped and covered her eyes turning around after getting a full view of a naked Sesshomaru. "Why are you naked?" She almost fainted.

"I always sleep nuddy I get hot." His voice was sleepy and confused. "Are you new? " She heard him come closer.

"Don't come any closer," Kagome moved out into the hall. "Put your clothes on and come to breakfast." Slamming it behind her Kagome practically ran down the hall her face red.

When the new nanny came into the room Audio smiled brightly at the girl amused at her red cheeks.

Kagome frowned at her figuring something out, "You were aware I would walk into that room and find him completely nude!" Kagome yelled pointing a finger at the women.

Audio laughed in response.

Singing quietly to the baby in her arms Kagome looked down to find the baby had fallen asleep. Careful this time not wanting to wake the child again she put her in the crib. Checking over the other babies and finding them all sleep Kagome quickly left the room. Finding Audio in the five year old room quietly talking to a little boy she approached her. "I'm about to leave." The women said completely tired. Audio nodded looking back at her.

"Check on Sesshomaru wills you?" Audio asks.

Kagome frowned this women had no idea how awkward this Sesshomaru made her feel. "Why is he in this age group? Ayme told me he was mentally eight."

Audio nodded, "Yeah but he was being teased in that group so he put in this one."

Kagome nodded in understanding before leaving. Kagome found Sesshomaru's door open and him busily working on a sculpture made of blocks.

"It's time to go to sleep Sesshomaru." Kagome nods to his bed. He ignores her and Kagome makes her way over to him.

"Aiso says I'm not normal." Sesshomaru looks up. Surprising her. "That I'm too big to act the way I do."

"Aiso?" Kagome asks trying to remember a child named that but couldn't think of one.

"He isn't in this age group. You asked Audi why I was in this age group." Sesshomaru said his face taking on a look similar to how she remembered him.

Kagome remembered then that even if he was a child mentally he was still a demon. "Well, screw Aiso. He is a" Kagome thought about the correct word to use. "A bo bo head."

A smile appeared on Sesshomaru's face making Kagome breathing hitch. "That was a lame." He laughed loud and manly. "bo bo head?"

Kagome couldn't help smiling back. "I'm not very good at insults."

He nodded as if he understood completely. "My brother is though you should meet him. One time" He was interrupted by Kagome's shocked expression.

"You have a brother?" Kagome asked her heart beat already increased heavily.

"Yeah, his name is Inuyasha. He hasn't visited in a while." Sesshomaru said watching Kagome's face wondering why the color had drained from it. "I'll go to bed now."

Kagome left Sesshomaru's room quickly and left the building her mind whirling. Kagome began her walk home happy whatever rain had fallen before her shift ended had stopped and all that remained was a chilly night and a fresh smell of outside.

Commotion from behind her made her turn and her eyes widen at a group of guards and what looked like a demon fighting against their hold on him. Around his neck was a thin piece metal attached to a pole and electricity visibly loped around the metal? Burning flesh smell drifted towards Kagome making her sick. On every part of the male's bare flesh was a wound. Some jagged and long some deep and long, and as blood dripped from his wounds causing his normally yellow pants to taint orange. His hair a silver mess all over his head made his wild golden eyes seem even more intense.

"Inuyasha," One of the guards growled sending a quick blow to his head.

"Inuyasha," Kagome mumbled.

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